
Qass. 



Book_^ivLlLUJiL 



/ 



PREACHED AT NORTHAMPTON, 



/SU/ 



OCTOBER 27, 1808, 




AT THE OPENING 



OF 



Northampton Bridge. 



BY SAMUEL WILLARD, 



AIWISTER OF DEERFIELD. 



NORTHAMPTON: 

PUBLISHED BY BULL and BUTLER., 
1808. 



i q^ 



AT a Meeting of the Proprietors of the Northamp- 
ton Bridge, holden at the house of Barnabas 
Billing'5, in said Northampton, on Thursday the 
27th of October, 1808 5 

VOTED UNANIMOUSLT, 

THAT the thanks of the Corporation be tendered 
to the Rev. Mr. Wzllard, for the ingenious and 
elegant Sermon, which he has this day delivered, in 
celebration of the completion and opening of said 
Bridge ; and that he be requested to favor them witk 
a copy thereof for the press. 

E. H. MILLS, 

P&OPRIETORS' CLERK, 



# 



A SERMON, &c. 

'^ HATH NOT Mr HAND MADE ALL THESE THINGS V\ 
ACTS, VII, 50. 

X HE fool hath said in his heart, there is .• 
no God ;"* and of all the folly that has ever resulted 
from dulness or affectation, it may be difficult to find 
an instance to be compared with the absurdity of athe- 
ism. A denial of Divine Providence ; a supposition, 
that the order and harmony of the boundless syflem of 
things, when once in being, could be preserved, with- 
out the unceasing agency of an omniscient and almighty 
Superintendant, is sufficiently unphilosophical and ab- 
surd. But it will appear much more extravagant, to 
suppose that all the material, inactive, and unintelli- 
gent things we behold, came into existence, without 
an intelligent Creator ; and that the innumerable in- 
stances of exquisite organization, were all results of 
chance. Indeed, a person, who could admit this, de- 
serves not to be numbered with rational creatures ; 
and much less with philosophers. 

Of all truths, scarcely any is more evident, than the 
existence of a GOD. 

" That there's a GOD, all nature cries aloud, 
Thro all her works." 

The heavens and the earth, wiih all they contain ; 
every fowl of the air 5 every beast of the field j every 

* Psalm 14. 1. 



[4] 

fifli, that swims in the ocean ; every tree of the foreH: 
and grove j every herb j every flower is a witness of 
his being. 

The God, of whose being we have such evidence, is 
the Creator of all things visible and invisible. " Of 
old he laid the foundation of the earth ; and the 
heavens are the work of his hands."* It is HE, that 
hath lighted up the sun, the moon, and the stars, and 
hung them, as lamps in the sky. It is HE, that crea- 
ted the rivers, and scooped out a bason for the ocean, 
and filled it with water. It is HE, that hath formed 
the vegetables, from the least to the greatest. It is 
HE, that hath organized our bodies, with those of all 
animal things, and given us the breath of life. 

Further ; God is to be regarded, as the author not 
only of all the works of nature, as they are called, 
but of those also, which, in diftinction from these, are 

called ARTIFICIAL. 

We are not, indeed, to be considered as mere ma- 
chines. We have a proper agency of our own. But 
"we arc so dependent on God, that HE is to be consid- 
ered the " author and finisher" of every thing we 
do, that is lawful and wise. Every utensil we form ; 
every garment wc make ; every house we build ; every 
bridge we erect, is in an important sense, the work of 
his hands. This will appear from several considerations. 

I. It is God who provides materials, without 
which w^e must be inactive. We cannot, like him, 
raise a fabric out of nothing. Nor is it enough, 
that we have m.aterial;-', unless they be suitable. We 
might as well attempt to build a house or a bridge 
with nothing, as with some things in existence. 

* Psalm IC2. 25. 



[5] 

We may transport timber from place to place, 
if the distance be not too great, nor the intervening 
space impassable. We may alter the form of stuff, 
making that straight or crooked, which was naturally- 
otherwise, . and in various ways accommodating it to 
our purposes. And by composition, or analysis, or 
some other operation, we may, in some instances, give 
a permanent form, and a strong cohesion to things, 
Vv'hich in their original state, have little or no cohe- 
sion. Thus we may furnish ourselves with materials 
for building, where at first sight there appear to be 
none ; and, when furnished, we can dispose and con- 
nect them, and form an edifice according to our mind. 

Here are the limits of human power. Justly, then, 
may it be said, " The hand of the Lord hath made 
all these things." The part we perform, compared 
with that HE does, is a very humble one ; so humble, 
that it is hardly to be named. But, 

2. God may challenge to himself the honor of all 
artificial works, so far as they are honorable, not 
only as the principal part is performed by his immedi- 
ate agency, but as it is HE that gives us wisdom to 
provide for our convenience. 

What would have been the situation of mankind, 
had they continued innocent ; whether in that case 
they would have been fubjected to any inconveniences, 
during their abode in this world ; or what change the 
curse, or the general deluge, that v/as sent for the dis- 
obedience and corruption of man, produced in the 
earth, we cannot tell. But this we know, that among 
many conveniences, fallen man is naturally subject 
to many inconveniences. Indeed, most of the 
blessings of life are attended with some trouble; and 
very few things are prepared for our use and enjoy- 
ment, without some invention and labor on our part. 



.re] 

But God has provided for our wants, by bestowing 
on us the power of invention. " There is a spirit in 
man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him 
understanding." Our Creator has made us capable 
of perceiving the various qualities, relations, and affec- 
tions of things, and not only of perceiving them, when 
occasionally presented to our observation, but of 
SEARCHING into the naturc of things, and by scien- 
tifie attainments, originating or improving useful arts. 
Thus we may overcome in(;onveniences, and by tracing 
out the means, convert to our enjoyment things, that 
arc seemingly most remote from use. 

For this most noble talent, and for all the improve- 
ments we are enabled to make, we are indebted to the 
Author of our being. To the great Builder of the 
world we are under obligations for our skill in arch- 
itecture, by which we are enabled to provide our- 
selves with commodious habitations, bridges, &c. as 
well as for the invention of various mstruments of la- 
bor, without which our greatest designs could not be 
carried into effect. It is God who teaches the beaver 
to raise his pond, and the bird and the insect to build 
their nests. Most surely then, he is to be acknowl- 
edged in OUR SUPERIOR power of contrivance and 
execution. " He teacheth us more than the beasts of 
the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of 
heaven,*" 

From the observations here made it appears, that 
for more reasons than one, it may be said of every 
fabric we raise, and of every valuable production of 
art, " The hand of God has made all these things." 

3. God is the Author of all the worthy produc- 
tions of our hands, as he is the author and preserver 

* Job, 35. II. 



t 7] 

(of those powers by which we exEcuti our designs* 
In all things we are dependent on him j and in our 
bodies more especially, or rather, more apparently, 
we have no independent or permanent strength. Tho, 
as observed above, we in our whole nature and constitu- 
tion are not mere machines, our bodies are nothing else. 
All our external strength, by which the action of the 
mind is conveyed to material objects around us, ia 
purely raechanicah And as our animal frame is a 
machine, so it is of such a slender construction, that it 
is always tending to ruin, and is in need of constant or 
frequent repairs. Continual exercise soon wears it 
out, and renders it incapable of motion. In regard to 
permanent strength, it is not to be compared with many 
machines constructed by the art of man. A clock, or 
a mill, with little or no repair, may be kept in cease- 
less motion for many years ; but the human body 
scarcely one day. Without food and rest our strength 
would presently be exhausted^. It is true, there arc 
means provided for repairing the waste of time and 
exercise, so that this most delicate machine is made 
more lasting, than any among the works of man. But 
WE can do Httle in the application of these means. 
Without the divine agency to convey reparatives to 
the parts that need, it were vain for us to eat or drink. 
And without God it were equally vain to expect 
refreshment from inaction. As well might we hope 
an INANIMATE machine, when worn out, would be 
repaired by disuse. It is the Former of our bodies, 
who alone is able to remove our weariness by rest and 
sleep. It is Hh that diffuses thro the joints, that have 
been exhausted and stiffened by labor, the necessary 
moisture, and in this way prepares them for renewed 
exercise. 

Thus God supports or revives our wasting strength. 
Thus it is " ia him," or thro his agency, " we live and 



IS] 

move/' On this account alone he might claim the 
honor of all our works. Much more, when we take 
into view the several things that have now been sug- 
gested, should we acquiesce in his holy declaration, 
*' My hand hath made all these things.'* 

Thus much, my friends, may suffice for the doctrine 
of our text, which is too plain to require any proof or 
much illustration. The remaining part of this dis- 
course will be composed of hints and reflections, su<y- 
gestcd by the subject or the occasion. And, 

1. Our subject suggests to us the duty of acknowl- 
edging God in all our undertakings, and especially in 
the more important, looking to him for his blessing on 
our labors and deugns, without which we must labor 
in vain. This is a very natural duty. It is one, that 
could not be excusably omitted by a heathen, and 
much less by one, who is favored with the religion of 
CHRIST. When we see that any human aid, 
whether public or private, is needful to the success of 
a favorite design, while we have reason to believe that 
by asking we may obtain, we do not neglect to ask. 
And it must be very unreasonable not to supplicate 
the DIVINE blessing which is indispensable to our suc- 
cess, and which we are encouraged to expect on this, 
and on no other condition. 

2. The occasion suggests to us the duty of gratitude 
to God, that in the original constitution of nature, 
things were disposed so much for our convenience ; 
and that we are enabled to remove many of the incon- 
veniences we find, and in various ways meliorate our 
condition. 

All things at creation were " good" in the eyes of 
HIM, who would have discovered the least imperfec- 
tion. Every thing great and small, animate and inan- 



•C9] 

imate, was created for some purpose worthy of the 
all-wise Creator ; and this purpose was in every instance 
ciFected. 

The great design, or at least one of the leading 
designs of this lower creation, was the happiness of 
him, who was formed " after the image of him that 
made him." t'or his use every thing beneath the sun 
was designed, and all were good for him. It is true, 
there are num.berlcss other creatures on earth, capable 
of happiness. But these, while indulged with their 
proper enjoyments, were all servants of man ; and 
every tree of the forest, and every herb of the field, 
was, we have reason to suppose, designed to subserve 
in some v/ay direct or indirect, the happiness of 
man.* 

And, whatever change took place in the earth, at 
the time of the great apostasy of mankind, we are still 
surrounded with many accommodations. A great pro- 
portion of the things we see, human actions excepted, 
may be pronounced good. Many things indeed may, 
at the first view, appear incapable of promoting human 
enjoyment ; and a child or an adult, whose experience 
and observation had been confined within a very small 
circle, might pronunce them worthless, tho* persons ot 
more knowledge confider them of great value. If ful- 
ly acquainted with the nature of things in their pres- 
ent state, perhaps we fliould find nothing, which 
might not be useful to man. 

That our convenience and enjoyment have been so 
much consulted,in the original constitution and disposi- 
tion of things, and that our accommodations in this hfe 
arc still so good, notwithstanding our unworthiness, 

* Genesis, ix. 2, 3. 



r 10 J 

should certainly be made subjects of thankful acknowl- 
edgement. 

It is true, as already observed, ihlngs wliich in some 
respects are among our best accommodations, may in 
other respects be occasions of great difficulty and 
trouble. Fire and water, tho' among the necessa- 
ries of life, when not restrained within due bounds, 
may destroy all ouroriiER means of life. Riveus 
which fertilize the neighboring meadows, while in the 
'direction of their courses they facilitate commerce ; as 
well as MOUNTAINS and hills, which among other 
benfits, give rise to these streams ; are naturally great 
IMPEDIMENTS when we wish to pass from one place to 
another on opposite sides of them. 

But, thanks to God, most of the difficulties w'c 
meet, not excepted the greatest, may be kssened, if 
not entirely removed by human labor and contrivance. 
It seems not to have been the design of the Creator, 
that human happiness should be the reward or the privi- 
lege of indolence, but of A'.^TiviTY. Our situa- 
tion in this life is such, as will naturally call forth ex- 
ertion. Few of the comforts or even of the necessa- 
r!ls of life are in their natural state ready for our 
use. While in innocent, man was required to 
dress the garden, which had been prepared and plant- 
ed fcr him.* And afier the fall his support and com- 
fort were n^ade still more dependent on the exercise of 
his strength and skill.* 

What supernatural inrtructions relative to the com- 
mon arts of life were, in the infancy of the world, af- 
foided mankind, we cannot determine. We have 
reason to believe hovvcver, that with a very few ex- 
ecpticns, these arts were left to homman invention, 

* Genesis ii. 15. * Gei::csi5 iil n, 18, 19. 

\ 



[ II ] 

aided, as all our exertion must be in order to success, 
by DIVINE wisdom and energy. Of this at least we 
are sure, that in the early ages of the world, many 
useful arts and some that are now- considered NtctssA- 
RY 10 enjoyment or activity, were unls:nown. in gener • 
al the arts, and the sciences, on which they are foun- 
ded, have been progressive from the earliest to the 
present time ; and within a few centuries some of the 
most important discoveries and inventions have been 
made, especially in the means of traffic and literary 
commnnication. And by our proficiency in mechan- 
ics and other branches of natural philosophy, many 
machines have v/ithin a few years beeen invented, by 
which the conveniences of life are procured with a vast 
savii^g of manual labor. In some branches of archi- 
tecture, is must be confessed that no improvements 
have for many ages been made ; and the patterns left 
us by the Greeks, are considered incapable of altera- 
ation for the better. In the building of Bridges 
however we vastly exceed the ancients ; if not in 
the science and skill, at least in enterprise of this 
kind. 

The histories of primitive times informs us of many 
works of almost incredible magnitude, which, tho' 
they discover no great skill, shew the laborious spirit 
of those who effected them ; or rather the strengtli of 
that despotism, by v/hich thousands, could for years be 
subjected to hard labor for the gratification of pride or 
some idle fancy. Many of their most stupenduous 
works were of little or no utility. But this is not the 
case with the greatest part of modern works. They 
are generally of public or private benefit. Our 
days have produced some, inferior in magnitude to 
very few productions of antiquity. In our times, by 
the erection of bridges, we travel over navigable wa- 
ters as on dry land, while by means of canals, in the 
preparation of v/aich the most stubborn rocks are rentj 



C 12 ] 

and the everlasting hills give way, we navigate int« 
the heart of a continent. 

Thus my friends, by the various discoveries and in- 
ventions, that have been made in the progress of 
years, we are relieved from a multitude of inconven- 
iences, to which the ancients were exposed, and furni- 
shed with innumerable accornmodations, to them un- 
known. And we have still abundant epcouragement, 
to study the things, which may alleviate the hard- 
ships and contribute to the comforts of life. Most 
surely then we should be grateful to the author of all 
good for the favorable constitution of things, and for 
the means and ability of making such alterations in the 
state of surrounding objecrs, as we may find condu- 
cive to our ease and comfort. Temporial accom- 
modations and enjoyments are not indeed among our 
greatest blessings. We are under much stronger obli- 
gations to be thankful for religous favors, and especial- 
ly for the great work of redemption by Jesus 
Christ, than for any temporal advantages, however 
great. But every favor of heaven is to be receive^ 
with thanksgiving,and it is hardly consistent with grati- 
tude for the greater to overlook the less. But 



a' 



3. The subject admonishes us to be humble in 
the contemplation of our owr> works, comparing thera 
with the Works of God. 

Mankind are very apt to vaunt themselves in the 
works of their hands. The words of Nebuchadnezar, 
the proud king of Babylon, while walking in his pal- 
ace, and furveying the enfigns of his fancied greatnefs, 
were " Is not tiiis great Babylon, that I have built for 
the house of my kingdom, by the might of my power, 
and for the honor of my majesty ?"* And many oth« 

* Daniel vj. gi. 



i: 13 1 

ers inferior to him have indulged the same feelings., 
whence this language proceeded. 

There Is indeed a remarkable difference in the char- 
acters and conditions of men, when compared one with 
another. Some by their activity and enterprize, or by 
their hereditary wealth, provide themselves with easy 
and some with sumptuous accommodations, while oth- 
ers live in great plainness or poverty. And it is not 
strange, if some, while they compare themselves with 
none but their fellow mortals, are elated with the con- 
sideration of their own superiority. But in the pres- 
cnci of God, all human distinctions are almost lost. — 
Compared with His the greatest and most improved of 
ou R works are nothing, less than nothing, and vanity. 
In such a comparison there are many things to inspire 
us with humility. 

In the first place, there is an inconceivable differ- 
crnce between the works of men and those of God, in 
NUMBER and MAGNITUDE. The building of an edifice 
to cover a few rods of ground, and extend a few feet 
into the air ; the cutting of a cannal of a moderate width 
and a few miles in length, perhaps thro* hills, which 
in comparison with the earth are little more than 
grains j and the erection of a Bridge, that may be pas- 
sed in a few minutes, are among the greatest of our 
works. And what are these compared with the earth, 
we inhabit ? and what is the earth compared with 
the solar system ? and again, what is this system to the 
■whole extent of creation ? If, as we have reason to 
believe, the numberless stars that appear in the skies, 
with millions of others, which thro' their incalculable 
and inconceiviable distance give no other evidence of 
their being, than a few faint and confused rays, are all 
suns enlightening each a great number of planets, the 
earth on which we live, which separately considered, 



[ '4] 

appears so great, is little more than an atom, compar- 
ed with the rest of God's works. What then are the 
greatest productions of human power ? Their compari- 
tive insignificance is inexpressible. They vanish into 
nothing, 

Another consideration, ihr.t forbids all boasting 
while we survey the greatness of our works, is that we 
must expend much LmEor and time in effec- 
ting a little. The greatest of human designs are in 
general many years in execution. But there is no 
such necessity with God. Only six days were em- 
ployed in the creation of our system ; and why so much 
time was employed, is perhaps an inscrutable secret of 
the divine counsels. Or, if it be lawful for so ignor- 
ant creatures, as we, to hazard a conjecture on such a 
subject, we may .suppose the gradual succession of 
God's works was designed to aid the comprehension 
of those seraphic spirits, whose exalted service it is, to 
contemplate without intermission the wonderful works 
of God, and render him imceafing praise ; and anoth- 
er design might be to leave us an example " of order 
and not of confufion.'^ Had it seemed good in the 
sight of God, to EXERT his omnipotence, one word 
and one instant, had been sufficient to give being to 
all the innumerable worlds, that now exist. Such 
power is incomprehensible by us, and the thought of it 
almost overwhelming, and it should certainly extin- 
guish every spark of vain glory. 

But further ; our most considerable works require 
the co-operation of many individuals, as well as a long 
course of time. Man is a feeble creature ; and dur- 
ing a long life, the greatest solitary exertions would 
eli'ect little. Were the undivided glory of any pro- 
duction then much greater than it is, when distributed 
^mong all, who may claim a share, the dividend 



C '5 3 

would in general be very small. But GOD has nd 
partner in the glory of HIS works. He is under no 
necessity of calling in the aid of his creatures for the 
execution of his greatest designs. The Father thro* 
the ai^rncy of his only begotten Son, created the world 
with all things now in existence, and neither angels nor 
archangels had any part in the work or the glory of it. 
The principalities and powers of Heaven were mere 
SPEC r ATORS of the work. 

Once more ; I would observe, that God's designs 
were all perfect in the origin, neither wanting, nor 
capable of improvement. Not only the works of cre- 
ation, but those of providence and rdemption, 
were dictated by infiillible wisdr^im. " Known unto 
God are all his works, from the beginning of the 
wori«l,"*not excepted those which are accommodated 
to the actions of his creatures ; and it is impossible for 
any thing to frustrate his designs, or render any meas- 
ures needful on his part, that were not ordained from 
cternilv. 

But how erroneous and deficient are the most in- 
genious inventions of man, till corrected and improved 
by experiment ! In some things, it is true, we may 
calculate effects with a considerable degree of cer- 
tainty. But a great many of our designs are little 
more than experiments, and want of success often com- 
pels us to VAPY, if not to ABAisTDON our phui?. And 
notwithstanding the present imperfection of most hu- 
man designs, they have been a long time in coming to 
their present state, and in general a small part of the 
honor belongs to the last inventor. In the early ages 
of the world, the arts were few, and extremely defect- 
ive ; but from those times to these, they have beeti 
gradually increased and improved. One generation 

* Atts, XV, «. 



[ '6] 

mherits from another, and in general adds something 
to the inheritance. But a small part of the inventions, 
that are made, are any thing more than slight melio- 
rations of former ones. It is true, that on the discov- 
ery of new properties or relations in things, original 
inventions are made. But the first inventors almost 
always leave them far short of perfection. 

Such, my friends, are the defects of human contriv- 
ance, and so little reason have we to boast of our most 
distinguished productions. But, 

4. While vi^e contemplate the improvements, that 
are gradually made in our ov.'n country, we should 
drop a tear over the declining state of many foreign 
countries, in which the works of centuries are swept 
away with a torrent of desolation, and where the cit- 
izens, instead of leisure for improvements, have scarce- 
ly time for procuring the ordinary means of life. 
Such is more or less the case of almost every nation of 
Europe. There are some, indeed, which, during the 
present wars, have not seen the ravages of an inva- 
ding and triumphant foe ; and some of these find 
abundance of time for the exercise of injustice and in- 
humanity. But these are so much employed in the 
art and practice of war, that they have little time or 
disposition for cultivating the arts of peace. And, 
tho* the productions of past ages remain among them, 
it cannot be supposed they make many improvements. 
What then, shall we think of those countries which 
have been overrun, perhaps once and again, by large 
and lawless armies, or rather, by armies, whose law 
■was rapine, desolation, and murder ? What profi- 
ciency could be hoped from such in the arts of life ? 
And, tho' peace succeed these calamities, what encour- 
agement can they hate for the least enterprize or ex- 
ertion, while they behold the ruins of their former 



C j; ] 

laborc, and feel the loss of their independence, and of 
all those privileges, which had descended from their 
fathers, perhaps thro' a long succession of ages, and 
while of course they have no security of any reward 
for future exertions ? If persons alive, with the feel- 
ings of men, are not in despair in such circumstances ; 
if they are still able to enjoy the remaining comforts 
of life ; they must be allowed to have no small share 
of fortitude. No exertion is to be hoped from them. 
Still less can they be expected to cultivate the arts of 
life, if after their own degradation, they are compelled 
to assit with all their resources,in the subjugation of oth- 
ers. And such my friends, has long been the situa- 
tion of no small part of the European nations, while 
others, to defend and preserve their rights, have al- 
most universally united the characters of citizens and 
soldiers. 

How widely different has been the situation of our 
country ! For several years after the flames of war 
were lighted up in Europe, we experienced little in- 
convenience from them. Refraining from all needless 
interference, we enjoyed a tranquil state, which gave 
us an opportunity for enriching ourselves with com- 
merce, and cultivating to an eminent degree the use- 
ful arts. And tho' within a few years we have suf- 
fered m.any injuries and indignities, from those who ac- 
knowledge no law but power, the sound of battle has 
not yet been heard in our land ; we are not yet depri- 
ved of our independence ; we may still sit by our own 
firesides, " without any to molest or make us afraid :" 
we are still at leisure to pursue the works of peace. — 
Our inquiries are not, how shall we contrive to raise 
or support vast armies, either for our own protection, 
or for the gratification of an arr.bitious and blood thirs- 
ty master or ally ? but how shall we enlarge and beaii- 

C 



[ i8 3 

tify our dwellings, alleviate by mechanical aids, the orr 
dinar}' labors of life, and by the improvement of roads, 
the' erection of bridges, &c. facilitate the journeys of 
those, who travel for business, health, or amusement ? 

The improvements made in our country within 
these twenty years, are perhaps unexampled. It is 
only a few years since the establishment of the first 
turnpike road in our country, and now a great part of 
the considerable places in the union are connected by 
turnpikes. In the number and lf-ngth of our 
BRIDGES, tho* not in the materials of which they 
are composed, we rival almost every country under 
heaven ; and every year adds several to the number. 

A comparison of our condition with that of most 
foreign countries should awaken w'ithin us the most 
generous sympathy for their degradation and distress, 
while it enkindles within us the most lively graitude to 
the Giver of all good for his distinguished favors. 

5. The occasion constiains me to add one word of 
acknowledgement to those, from whose enterprise we 
derive many of our public accommodations. Bridges 
are of very great utility ; and, if the one we now see 
opened, be allowed to stand, it will very much accom- 
modate THIS and other neighboring towns, and the 
public in general. A person of a little experience will 
discover several reasons for preferring abridge to a fer- 
ry. Without a bridge, a river like this can never in the 
open months be passed without considerable delay, fre- 
quently not without danger, and in some seasons not 
at all. 

We wish success to this enterprise, and hope the 
projectors of it will be indemnified for all their trouble 
^nd expence. 



C 19] 

6. One thought remains. All our wordly pro» 
jects, however perfectly executed, are temporal ; but 
some of our works are eternal. The houses we 
build for our present accommodation, must crumble in- 
to dast, yonder bridge, if not swept away by ice nor 
flood, will shortly fall into ruin. But we are each erec- 
ting an edifice of indissoluble materials, that will re- 
main, when the earth is no more. This building my 
friends, is either a prison of darkness and eternal woe, 
or a palace of glory and everlasting blessedness. Let 
ns take heed how we build. Let us build on the stone 
that is laid in Zion, with the materials our Saviour 
has provided : and thus, when our earthly tabernacles 
shall he dissolved, may we be received into everlasting 
h'dbitarions, thro' Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory and 
praise forever. Amen. 



.u U 



